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8 views

Parallelism

Uploaded by

hte19031
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Parallelism Writing

Hiranyada Dewasiri
Department of English Language Teaching
What is parallelism?
• Parallelism is the use of similar structure in related
words, clauses, or phrases.

• Parallelism is about balance.

• Lack of parallel structure is faulty parallelism

• Readers often correct faulty parallelism intuitively because


an unbalanced sentence sounds awkward and poorly
Faulty parallelism:
Kelly had to iron, do the washing, and shopping
before her parents arrived.
(perfect and continuous together)

Correct parallelism:
Kelly had to do the ironing, washing, and shopping
before her parents arrived.
(Continuous)
Why is parallelism important?
• A strong sentence is composed of balanced parts that all have the
same structure.
• It creates a sense of rhythm and balance within a sentence.
• When these sentences are written using a parallel structure, they
sound more aesthetically pleasing because they are balanced.
• Repetition of grammatical construction also minimizes the amount
of work the reader has to do to decode the sentence.
• This enables the reader to focus on the main idea in the sentence
and not on how the sentence is put together
Parallelism in practice
• Writers use parallelism not only within sentences but also
throughout paragraphs and beyond.
• Repeating particular key phrases throughout a piece of writing is an
effective way of tying a paragraph together as a cohesive whole and
creating a sense of importance.
• This may be especially useful for creating a proposal or other type of
persuasive workplace document.
• Note that the spelling and grammar checker on most word
processors will not draw attention to faulty parallelism. When
proofreading a document, read it aloud and listen for sentences
that sound awkward or poorly phrased.
A simple way to check for parallelism in your writing
is to make sure you have paired nouns with nouns,
verbs with verbs, prepositional phrases with
prepositional phrases, and so on.

Underline each element in a sentence and check that the


corresponding element uses the same grammatical form.
Creating parallelism using coordinating
conjunctions (for, and, nor, yet, but, so)

When you connect two clauses using a coordinating conjunction,


make sure that the same grammatical structure is used on each
side of the conjunction.
• Faulty parallelism: When I walk the dog, I like to listen to
music and talking to friends on the phone. (two different verb
forms on each side of and)
• Correct parallelism: When I walk the dog, I like listening to
music and talking to friends on the phone. (same verb form)
Joining items or lists in a series

• The same technique is used here.


• Faulty parallelism: This committee needs to decide
whether the company should reduce its workforce, cut its
benefits, or lowering workers’ wages.
• Correct parallelism: This committee needs to decide
whether the company should reduce its workforce, cut its
benefits, or lower workers’ wages.
Creating parallelism using than or as

• When you are making a comparison, the two items being


compared should have a parallel structure.
• Comparing two items without using parallel structure can
lead to confusion about what is being compared.
• Comparisons frequently use the words than or as, and the
items on each side of these comparison words should be
parallel.
Faulty parallelism: Swimming in the ocean is much tougher than a
pool.
The elements before the comparison word (than) are not equal to the elements after the
comparison word. It looks as though the writer is comparing an action (swimming) with a noun
(a pool).

Correct parallelism: Swimming in the ocean is much tougher


than swimming in a pool.
In the second sentence, the writer uses the same grammatical construction to create a parallel
structure. It gives the reader more clarity.
To correct some instances of faulty parallelism, it may be
necessary to add or delete words in a sentence.

• Faulty parallelism: A brisk walk is as beneficial to


your health as going for a run.

• Correct parallelism: Going for a brisk walk is as


beneficial to your health as going for a run.
Creating parallelism using correlative conjunctions
A correlative conjunction is a paired conjunction that connects two
equal parts of a sentence and shows the relationship between them.

• either…or Faulty parallelism: We can


• not only…but also neither wait for something to
• neither…nor happen nor can we take evasive
• whether…or action.
• rather…than
• both…and Correct parallelism: We can
neither wait for something to
happen nor take evasive action.
Outlines and Headings

• Headings that divide a paper into sections should be parallel.


Likewise, parallel structure should be applied to elements in
paper outlines.

Faulty parallelism Correct parallelism

1. Origin of homeopathy 1. Origin of homeopathy


2. Initial reception 2. Initial reception
3. Rising to popularity in the 19th 3. Rise to popularity in the 19th century
century 4. Lack of evidence in recent studies
4. Recent studies show lack of evidence
Key takeaways
• All lists should be parallel.
• Verbs and their use in texts should be parallel.
• Correlatives should be parallel
• Read out loud to detect parallelism
Exercise
• Mr. Holloway enjoys reading and to play his guitar on weekends.
• The doctor told Mrs. Franklin that she should either eat less or should
exercise more.
• Breaking out of the prison compound, the escapees moved carefully,
quietly, and were quick on their feet.
• I have read the book, but I have not watched the movie version.
• Deal with a full inbox first thing in the morning, or by setting aside
short periods of time in which to answer e-mail queries.
Correct Parallelism
• Mr. Holloway enjoys reading and playing his guitar on weekends.
• The doctor told Mrs. Franklin that she should either eat less or
exercise more.
• Breaking out of the prison compound, the escapees moved carefully,
quietly, and quickly.
• I have read the book, but I have not watched the movie.
• Deal with a full inbox first thing in the morning, or set aside short
periods of time to answer e-mail queries.

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